National News

Hall in court on rape charges

Veteran broadcaster Stuart Hall will appear in court today to enter pleas on historic allegations that he raped two young girls.

Hall, 83, is alleged to have committed seven counts of rape against one girl between 1976 and 1978 in Manchester, when she was aged between 14 and 16.

He is also accused of eight counts of rape and one count of indecent assault against his second alleged victim, aged between 11 or 12 and 15 at the time, between 1976 and 1981, at various locations in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

A provisional trial date of May 6 at Preston Crown Court was set at his last court hearing in November.

Today's plea and case management hearing takes place at the same court.

Hall was a familiar face and voice in British broadcasting for half a century, and his eccentric and erudite football match summaries made him a cult figure on BBC Radio 5 Live.